PSY346H5 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Biology Of Depression, Nucleus Accumbens, Putamen
Document Summary
Amygdala is considered to be an emotional processing centre of the brain, and so it functions in the recognition of emotional stimuli and can trigger a few various responses, one of which includes the hypothalamus releasing the stress hormones. There are stressors in the environment that may trigger a stressful reaction from us that would trigger the ght-or- ight response. All these reactions prepare you to either ght the stressor or ee from the stressor. Hpa (hypothalamic- pituitary adrenal) axis works in the following way: hypothalamus > pituitary gland . > acth > adrenal glands which can result in either release of cortisol or epinephrine/norepinephrine: this circuit is not only important for stress, but also for sexual function, immune function or even digestion. The ocd patients lack the nucleus accumbens response that is supposed to send signal to the frontal cortex to suppress activity, thus no suppression of the thoughts continues.
